Getty Paul Reed of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers retooled their roster this summer, addressing key areas of need in order to make a deep playoff run next season. But new faces mean old favorites could be relegated even further down the bench.
At the dawn of free agency, the Sixers made quick work of adding PJ Tucker and Danuel House to the team. During the draft, Sixers boss Daryl Morey pulled off a shrewd trade for Grizzlies rotation piece De’Anthony Melton. And a few weeks ago, James Harden helped convince former Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell to sign with Philadelphia on a two-year deal.
That brings up the tally to four new faces in the City of Brotherly Love next year. New blood is great news for a team that desperately needed to add bench depth and an “enforcer” type player. But for some players at the end of the bench, it means they’re even further from seeing playing time.
Further, with the Sixers carrying 17 players under contract, the club will have to make tough decisions to either cut or trade some to get under the league-maximum 15 during the regular season.
Enter Paul Reed. The Sixers center is entering just his third season in the league and was initially pegged to be Joel Embiid’s replacement off the bench. But after signing Harrell, Reed’s spot in the rotation became cloudier. But that hasn’t stopped Reed from preaching his own gospel on social media. On Tuesday, he tweeted out a message amid his uncertain future in Philadelphia.
“The best revenge is success,” tweeted Reed.
The best revenge is success
Is Reed trying to send a message to the front office, daring them to cut ties with him at their own peril? Fortunately for Reed, his spot might be the safest among those at the back of Philadelphia’s roster.
Paul Reed Should Be ‘Safe Unless Traded’
Reed was in a similar position last season with the Sixers. During the regular season, he played behind backup centers Andre Drummond and Paul Millsap. But many fans got acquainted with Reed during the playoffs.
When Joel Embiid missed time with a facial fracture, Reed saw his playing time balloon. While the Sixers generally started veterans DeAndre Jordan or Paul Millsap, Reed’s playing time reached double digits in four of the team’s six games against the Miami Heat. It’s because of that experience that PhillyVoice’s Kyle Neubeck believes Reed’s spot on the roster is safe unless he’s included in a trade.
“The only reason Reed is even getting a mention here is because of his contract. . . .The only way he’s leaving this roster before the regular season is if a team wants to take a flier on him in a trade and the Sixers trim the roster down in that way,” Neubeck wrote.
Reed wasn’t lights out by any means during the postseason. His performances seesawed: he had plus/minus of plus-12 in one game against Miami, only to have that figure crater to minus-nine four days later.
That’s why, despite his experience, Neubeck also pumped the brakes on Reed as a day-to-day contributor.
Paul Reed Is Still a Work in Progress for the 76ers
Though traditionally considered a center, Reed also has some experience at power forward. But a lack of consistent shooting from deep has limited Reed’s ability to get consistent looks at the position.
“Though I think he’s plenty capable defensively as a forward and has posted good shooting numbers in the G-League, it’s going to take a long time for him to convince opponents he’s an actual threat to make threes,” Neubeck noted.
If that shot does develop, Reed could be in line for a major minutes bump. As it stands, the Sixers have just a few options at the four. PJ Tucker, Tobias Harris, and Georges Niang can all ably play the position, but adding Reed to the mix could give the team more options during the regular season.